In recent years, a number of new telephone service features have been provided by an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN). The AIN evolved out of a need to increase the capabilities of the telephone network architecture in order to meet the growing needs of telephone customers or users. The AIN architecture generally comprises two networks, a data messaging network and a circuit-switched, trunked communications network. The trunked communications network handles voice and data communications between dispersed network locations, whereas the data messaging network is provided for controlling operations of the trunked communications network.
Calling Number Identification and “Caller ID” are common names for AIN subscriber services that identify the telephone line from which an incoming call originates. Generally, Caller ID provides the called party with a visual alphanumeric display of the calling party's name and/or telephone number on a Caller Line Identity Display (CLID). This service has become very popular in today's telecommunications market due to subscribers' desire for increased privacy and control. By providing the called party with the identity of the calling party upon receipt of an incoming call, the called party can selectively field incoming calls.
Typically, mobile phone users pay for mobile phone usage including incoming calls. Hence, mobile phone users are likely to subscribe to Caller ID services, such as calling number ID and caller name ID to screen incoming calls, if such a service is available. Mobile phone users who subscribe to Caller ID may find it difficult to read the visual calling name/number data on the cellular phone display, especially while involved in other activities, such as driving. Hence, it is helpful for mobile phone users to receive Caller ID information audibly, rather than visually, so as not to be distracted from other activities.
Traditional wired telephone users as well may find it useful to have an audio caller identification service. Persons who have vision difficulties or who have to keep their eyes on what they are doing may find an audio caller identification system extremely helpful. Additionally, a customer with a cordless phone or several handsets may find it inconvenient to go to the location of a CLID, which may be in another room, to see who is calling. Such users may find it more convenient to receive Caller ID information audibly at the telephone handset.
To accommodate mobile phone users and to address the limitations of visual Caller ID services, there have been proposed systems for audio Caller ID. Existing audio Caller ID systems, however, are limited by relying on technology used by visual Caller ID systems. Visual Caller ID information is limited by the display characteristics of the CLID to 15 characters in length, which is sometimes insufficient to completely and uniquely identify the calling party. Hence, existing audio Caller ID systems, relying on existing visual Caller ID technology, are similarly limited to 15 characters of information, resulting in frequent truncation of names. It would be a great advantage, therefore, if an audio Caller ID system provided more than 15 characters of information to be converted to speech so that names or other data would not be truncated, allowing a calling party to be completely and uniquely identified.
Additionally, in existing audio Caller ID services, for those subscribing to both visual Caller ID and Audio Caller ID, the calling number information displayed on the CLID is incorrect. Rather than displaying the number from which the call was placed, the CLID displays the number of the services node used to complete the call. It would be a great advantage if the correct information would be displayed on the CLID for those who subscribe to both visual and audio Caller ID.
The present invention is directed to an improved audio Caller ID system. Specifically, the present invention is directed to remedying both the truncation of identification information and the incorrect display of the calling party number on the CLID.